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Sunday, January 4, 2009

No more reselling clothes or toys as of Feb 10... says the Government.

Ironic that I just posted this TFT that I would find this article on Baby Cheapskate.

A snippet...

As of February 10th, you will no longer be able to place used children's clothes or toys into the "stream of commerce" unless you can prove that they've been tested for lead and pthalates. As I and others understand it, that means no selling items without such proof on ebay, Craigslist, yard sales, and church/organization consignment sales (See if your favorite sales are still scheduled). Of course, that means no buying kids' clothes and toys without certification from these sources either. This act could easily triple the amount that many families pay to clothe their kid until there are enough second-hand items manufactured after Feb. 10 to replenish the second-hand market (and even then it's likely that prices at thrift stores, etc. will be higher due to the added cost of testing them). It will absolutely eliminate the notion of recouping any of the cost of older items through reselling.

I am shocked... angry and shocked. So seriously our "go green", failing economy expects us- people who sell used items on Craigslist, at garage sales, on eBay and to consignment shops- to throw away our items because they "may" contain lead or phalates... and furthermore... expect us to buy 100% new toys and clothing because used items "may" contain lead or phalates? Seriously? What kind of effect is this goign to have on our enviornment and also on families (much like mine!) who rely on resale/used items to clothe their children and playrooms.

12 comments:

Hi Nicole. I blogged about this right away thanks for bringing it to our attention. It would be devastating for everyone. They just did a news story on CBS Sunday Morning today. How we are such a wasteful country and throw everything away. I guess they (the governemt) missed it.

That seems a bit nuts. I don't think it's so much the "going green" movement though. The U.S. has had restrictions on lead based paint for a good while. I think it's in response to all the questionable items coming from China.

hi...i haven't commented in a LONG time (about a year-hectic life) but this really caught my attention. i'm the mom of a 4 month old and i'm not sure what i'd do without the second hand market. i did some quick research when i wrote a blog entry about this topic and learned that i've saved over $100.00 on just the 4 items i blogged about. i hope this doesn't happen. by the way, LOVE your blog header! cuties!